Learning to Fly
by only-mj
Summary: Light was forced to leave his family on less than desirable circumstances. Now, years later, he is asked to return to Japan to help the father and Task Force that he swore he'd never associate with again. Light's past begins to catch up with him and he soon realizes the major flaws in his relationships. LawLight, LXLight. Business AU. L and Light detective partners AU.
**_While the world sleeps under my feet tonight_**
 ** _I'm chasing myself in the sky_**  
 ** _While the world sleeps under my feet tonight_**  
 ** _I'll be up here learning to fly_**  
 ** _When you love what you can't let go_**  
 ** _And your heart already knows_**  
 ** _Sure, it'll hurt, but it worth every burn_**  
 ** _Cuz one day you'll be home_**  
 ** _Still it feels like I, I am always on the red eye  
—"Red Eye", Andy Grammer—  
_**

* * *

Hot. It felt so hot. So good. He let out a low moan as his partner's fingers dug into his shoulders. "Fuck… Fuck…" He swore, burying himself inside the older man. His partner let out a cry, screaming out into the dark bedroom as his finished inside. He carefully pulled out, slowly and his partner let out a soft moan, still panting as he began to crash hard from his high. He near collapsed down on top of his partner, rolling slightly to lay beside him in their bed. Shifting he laid on his side, he could not stop himself from smiling as he brushed his partner's sweaty black bangs from his face to see into the glossed over ebony eyes of his lover. "I love you…" He spoke softly, trying to swallow when he realized how dry his throat was.

His partner let out a sigh, black eyes sliding shut as he mumbled a hushed, "And I you…"

Their tender moment was cut short by his phone ringing. They both exchanged an awkward glance, only a small number of people in the world knew his cell phone number. He forced himself to sit up, swallowing once more before answering. "Watari? What is it?"

"Light, I apologize for interrupting on your night off. But LAw just received a consultation request. I'm forwarding the message to you now. Let me know how you would like me to respond."

Light sighed, work never seemed to stop, he thought, "No, it's fine. Go ahead and send it over. Thank you." He responded before hanging up. He hated the knowing smile L gave him as he reached over the side of the bed, pulling his laptop up off of the floor. If their moment had been ruined earlier, they had no hope of rekindling it after Light read his request. "Oh Shit…" He swore, resting his face in his hand. He could feel L's presence behind him, reading the request over his shoulder.

" _LAw,_

 _The Japanese Police Task Force is requesting your consultation on a recent case. I am sure you are aware of the recent string of murders in Gunma. We believe them to all be related and we would like your assistance in proving this theory and putting an end to these killings. Please advice if you are interested in the case, and if we may send you the information we have._

 _Thank You,_

 _Soichiro Yagami,_

 _Police Investigation Bureau Chief"_

L studied Light carefully, noting how his shoulders tensed up as he read the message again. He reached up, carefully resting his hands on Light's shoulders and giving them a tight squeeze. "What are you going to do?" He asked calmly, rubbing the tight muscles expertly.

The younger man leaned back into the hands on him. "I'm not taking the case…" He muttered matter-of-factly. "They can figure it out on their own."

"Light…"

"I'm serious!" He snapped, slamming his laptop shut and tossing it aside. "If they're too stupid to realize that LAw works for The L Organization, and too stupid to solve this case, maybe the guy deserves to not be caught."

"Light!" L glared, pulling him back against his chest. "Stop it. That's not fair and you know it." He scolded. "You're taking this case."

"Like Hell—"

"LAw is taking this case." L ordered, speaking as his boss rather than his lover. "I know it's going to be difficult for you, but I think it will be good for you as well. You don't have to get along with Soichiro Yagami, but the L Organization can't break ties with Japan. We've been on less than desirable terms with Japan for years. I need you to do this."

Light pouted against his lover's thin chest, not answering right away. Brown eyes slid shut as he felt hands travel down his torso. "Fine… But I'm not going to like it…"

"I never said you had to like it…" L responded quickly, planting a kiss on his shoulder.

* * *

" _Light, it's really great to have you on board with this case. I can't tell you how proud I am." His father gave him a smile, leading him down the hallway to his office. Light nodded, excited to be a part of the Japanese Task Force and finally work along side his father. Even though he had just graduated from high school and had just entered university, he had been brought on to assist with this particularly difficult case his father's team was working on. He had worked with the Police on cases in the past, but nothing quite this high profile. It was a dream come true for him! "There's someone I'd like you to meet." Soichiro continued as he opened the door to the office._

 _A rather peculiar looking man sat in one of the seats in Soichiro's office, or rather squatted. He studied the computer before him with intense black eyes as he sucked on a pocky stick. He did not seem to hear them enter until Soichiro spoke up. "Ryuzaki, this is my son, Light. Light, this is Ryuzaki. He's also working as a consult on this case. He's the president of The L Organization."_

 _The strange man rose to his feet, holding out a hand to shake Light's. "It's nice to finally meet you, Light. I'm looking forward to working with you." He responded, pocky stick hanging out of his mouth._

 _Light could not believe it. He was shaking hands with the the president of The L Organization? That would make this strange man L? "It's-It's nice to meet you as well. I'm a really big fan of your work. You've-You've really inspired me…" He could not help but blush as he began to ramble on in front of his idol. "I'm-ah-Looking forward to working with you, too…"_

* * *

"So… LAw agreed to take the case?" Matsuda asked hopefully, pleased with the good news.

The Chief nodded. "It would seem that way." He responded equally pleased with knowing that they would have a reputable consult on their case. He hoped that meant he would be able to spend some time with his family soon, and their killer—or killers—would be brought to justice. "Could you send them all of the information we have acquired on the case thus far? I want them to have everything before noon today." He ordered.

"Yes sir!" Matsuda nodded, rushing off to get to work, preparing everything for the consult.

* * *

 _It was of no surprise to anyone at the Japanese Task Force that Light and Ryuzaki worked extremely well together. The two seemed to compliment each other and work off of each other's skills with ease. With the two of them working on the case, their progress made leaps and bounds in no time._

 _Even though they had worked together for months, Light still had moments of awe that he was actually working alongside THE L. He was nothing like the ever imagined him being. The way he sat awkwardly in his chair, the way he chewed his fingernails, the way he was constantly eating some sort of sweet snack. None of these were things he expected from the great L, but now that he knew this to be L, Light could not imagine him any other way._

 _He wondered when he became obsessed with him. He wondered when he started studying him more than the case at hand. He wondered why he would space out only to get caught staring at the older man. Light wondered what was wrong with him._

 _One night the two were working late at headquarters, everyone else had opted to go home or turn in for the night. Light had promised his father he would not be too long._

 _The two worked in silence until, "Light, I'm going to run a theory by you." L stated bluntly in the usual way he had frequently started many of their conversations. "I want your opinion on it."_

 _Light nodded, turning to give the detective his full attention. "Alright. What is it?"_

 _L bit his lip for a moment before stating, "I think that we might have romantic feelings for one another… Your thoughts?"_

* * *

"Yeah, I'm pulling up to Headquarters now. I have a meeting with The Chief in ten." Light informed L over the phone as he parked his rental car and sat in the parking lot, stalling before he had to go up there.

"Well I'm glad that you made it safely." L responded honestly, he could hear the hesitation in his partner's voice. "Keep me posted as you are able and let me know if you have any problems. We are all aware of your situation here and while I don't anticipate that you will run into a crisis, I have measures in place to get you home if need be."

Light smiled at L's thoughtfulness. "That's awfully sweet of you. Do you treat all of your employees with this much courtesy? Or just the one's your sleeping with?"

He knew his sarcasm was his way of dealing with the inevitably stressful encounter he was about to have, so L let the comment slide. "Call me tonight when you get back to your hotel." He ordered. "I look forward to hearing from you."

Light let out a deep breath, climbing out of the car reluctantly. "I love you, too." He answered before hanging up the phone.

* * *

 _He gripped the edge of his desk tightly until his hands ached. Throwing his head back, Light tried his best to remain quiet as he had never experienced something so incredible in his entire life. He panted hotly as L ran his tongue expertly up and down his length. "Oh-Oh-Oh Fuck!" He gasped out, leaning back against the desk as he tried to hold himself up while his knees grew weak._

" _Ssshhhhh…" He heard L softly from where he knelt down between his legs on the floor of Task Force Headquarters. Light had to bit down on his lip to keep from crying out as L took his entirety into his mouth and down his throat._

* * *

Light took a deep breath, taking a few seconds to exhale as he stood in front of the door to the Task Force Division. He knew what was on the other side of the door and he was not sure if he was ready to face it. He knew he was being ridiculous. He was a detective. His job was to work with and hunt down murderers and sex offenders. He dealt with real danger every day. But somehow the man on the other side of this door made him more anxious than any criminal ever could. "Be professional." He muttered to himself. "You're here for work, that's all." He nodded, psyching himself up to go in there. Another sigh. "Alright." He knew he could not stall anymore before opening the door. "Good morning everyone!" He greeted with the most believable smile he could muster. "I am LAw. I am going to be assisting you on this case at hand. Can someone point me towards whoever is in charge of your investigation?" He asked rather quickly, but to the point.

The motion in the room grew still. Everyone stared in awe at the young man before them. Light scanned the room. There were a few familiar faces, but some new faces as well, although this did not surprise him. Those faces that he did recognize stared at him as though they had seen a ghost, while others looked around as though confused about the sudden change in tone.

"L-Light?!" Matsuda greeted warmly. "Oh wow! This is so crazy! You're LAw?" He jumped up, rushing over to shake his hand. "It's been so long! Welcome back to the Task Force!"

Light swallowed, pleasantly surprised that at least someone was happy to see him. "It's been a few years, yeah. It's… good to see you, Matsuda."

"This has to be a joke…" A cold voice came from the other end of the room. Matsuda and Light broke apart, Light's eyes locking on the eyes that matched his own far too well for his liking. " _You're_ our consult? But how can that be?" Chief Yagami snapped.

His face quickly turned to a frown as he made his way towards the front of the room. "Well, The L Organization is the largest international consultation firm, providing assistance to investigative teams and law offices all over the world. I am head of the Japanese Crime Investigation Syndicate, and you are a Japanese Task Force needing assistance in a serial-murder case, which as you would have to know since you hired me, is my area of expertise." Light responded, trying to keep his sarcasm in check, but finding it difficult to do with the man before him. "Do you need to see my resume and references or can we get get to work, _sir_?"

Soichiro let out a huff as Light stood his ground. He was not thrilled about him being there, but the last thing he needed was to be embarrassed in front of his subordinates. "That-That won't be necessary. We just weren't expecting… You."

"It's alright, sir. I'm sure you would not have hired me if you had known." Light responded, giving him a wide cynical smile before pulling out his laptop. "So, where should we begin? Have you had any further leads since we last spoke?" He asked, turning to the rest of the room as he easily took over the investigation. He had to admit, he did find that he loved being in charge of this particular group of people, especially Soichiro.

* * *

" _Hey… uh… Mom? Dad?" Light called out, poking his head into the living room where he found his parents watching the news. "Can I… Talk to you both for a sec?" He asked nervously._

" _Of course, Light. What is it?" His mother asked kindly, motioning for him to take a seat as his father muted the television._

 _Light swallowed, sitting on the edge of the recliner. "Well… You see…" He was not sure where to start. He did everything he could to not make eye contact with his father._

" _Is everything alright, son?" Soichiro asked concerned as he easily picked up on his son's distress._

" _Yeah. Yeah." Light said even though he shook his head. "Uhm. Everything is fine I just… I need to tell you both that… Uhm…" He cleared his throat quickly. "I lied to you about having a girlfriend… And I'm sorry for that…"_

" _Why did you think you would need to lie about that, Light?" Sachiko asked concerned. "You know it doesn't matter to us if you're dating someone or not."_

" _No but… I am…" Light hesitated. "They're actually a boyfriend…" He admitted finally, dropping his head as he braced himself for their reaction._

 _At first it was silent. Neither parent could bring themselves to say anything. They exchanged a worried glance and tears began to well up in Sachiko's eyes as she thought of the implications. As soon as Light heard his mother crying he knew this was not going to end well for him._

" _Y-You have a boyfriend?!" Soichiro snapped, disgusted. "That is not something that I can allow, Light! I demand that you stop seeing him at once!"_

 _Light sighed, trying his best not to laugh. "I… I can't do that." He admitted softly._

" _You can and you will! I will not allow that sort of behavior from my son!"_

" _I can't stop seeing him because I work with him…" Light managed to get out over his yelling father._

 _If he was not so anxious Light would have found the shocked and disgusted look on his father's face hilarious. "Wh-what! Who?!"_

 _Light was not sure if it were best to answer or to go into details about his relationship. He quickly regretted even mentioning that he worked with his current partner. "Ah… Well…" He opted to stare down at his hands rather than look at his father. "L… Or, I mean, R-Ryuzaki…"_

 _His father's eyes widened before his face quickly twisted into a scowl. "Are you serious, Light?! Absolutely not. I'm taking you off the case, and I'm terminating his contract. He can go back to Winchester or wherever the fuck he's from! He won't lay a hand on you again, Light, I promise!" He spoke quickly, his head spinning as he tried to sort out the situation and who exactly he should be angry with._

" _You can't do that! We're so close to a breakthrough in the case!" Light begged. He could not believe this was really happening to him._

" _I'm sure we would have already made one without the two of you doing God knows what with each other!" Soichiro snapped. "All those nights you two stayed late to work… What is wrong with you, Light? We raised you better than that! My answer is final, Light. You're not to go near him or headquarters until you've sorted yourself out."_

 _Light gasped, staring at his father bewildered. "Are you fucking kidding me? Sort myself out? There's nothing wrong with me, Dad!"_

" _Obviously there isn't! Just listen to yourself, Light!" Was the sarcastic response._

" _If you send him back to England I'm going with him!" He threatened without thinking._

 _Sachiko spoke up softly, wiping her eyes. "Light… Please…" She called out as his son rose from his chair, making his way across the room as he quickly tried to leave._

" _If you walk out that door you will not be welcome back in this house." Soichiro called after him._

 _Light hesitated in the doorway for a moment. He knew that he could not come back from his decision. He knew very well that the second he chose where to go his entire life would be mapped out from then on. He knew what life he would rather lead. Light took a deep breath and slipped on his shoes. "Maybe I don't want to be welcomed in a house like this." He muttered before stepping out into the cold night._

* * *

"So how was day one?" L asked, genuinely relieved when his partner finally called him.

"I've had better days." Light admitted, laying back on his hotel bed. He was exhausted and overall annoyed his how his day had gone. Still, he had to admit it went better than he had thought it would.

L paused on the other end of the line, carefully listening to his partner. "Are you drunk?"

"Extremely. Can you be?" Light asked with a smirk on his face, setting his bottle down to undo his dress shirt.

He should not have been surprised, still he had to admit that he was not pleased with his partner's actions. L pulled his phone away from his ear for a moment, taking a deep breath before pulling it back up. "Even if I did drink—which you know I don't— it's one o'clock in the afternoon here. Which, you also know. So unfortunately I'll have to pass on your tempting offer." He replied with a monotonous tone.

Light frowned. "You're no fun…" He mumbled.

"Light, you are there to do a job. I cannot understand how emotionally difficult this must be for you but I need you to remain sharp and professional at all times." The brunette sighed, running a hand through his hair as he allowed his boss to scold him. "Can you handle this job or do I need to find someone else who can?" L asked seriously. He wanted to be sympathetic towards his lover, but as his boss he had to make sure that his job could be completed. There was a long pause on the other end of the line and L worried that Light might have left. "Light? Are you still there?"

"L… You love me… Don't you?" Came the quiet voice on the other end.

L took a seat in his room, not happy, but at least he now had a pretty good idea of how many drinks Light had consumed. _Four? Five maybe…_ "You know I do, Light." He responded carefully.

"Then would it kill you to fucking say it?" Light snapped, suddenly bitter, as though wanting to start a fight.

L began to chew on his thumbnail, letting out a sigh as he realized he was not going to be getting back to work any time soon. _Five. Definitely five._ "Light. I'm not going to have this conversation with you right now."

"I gave up everything to be with you." The younger man growled angrily over the phone, taking another drink. " _Everything_ L."

"And in return did I not give you anything you could have possibly wanted?" Light grew quiet as L continued. "You're angry with your father and you are projecting that anger onto me, and you know that."

"I'm sorry. Am I not allowed to be angry with anyone other than my father?" The younger snapped.

L unintentionally chewed down his fingernail too far, pulling his hand back to realize his thumb was bleeding. Dark eyes squeezed shut. He had seen this coming. He had known there was a possibility of this happening. "What do you want me to say, Light?" L asked finally.

He grew quiet once more, staring at his now empty bottle as he considered getting another one. "I just… I dunno… Why is it so hard for you to say it?"

"Why do I need to say it?" L asked, genuinely curious. "Tell me, please, why is it more important to you that I say it when I think I show you how I feel everyday anyway?"

"Not…Not more important…" Light mumbled. "But…" He trailed off, unsure what he wanted to say now that he was suddenly put on the spot. "I think it's just as important…"

Being in a relationship was so peculiar, L had always thought. Although he had to admit he did not have very much romantic experience, he had learned with his years of being with his current partner that sometimes he was not meant to understand all of their needs. He sighed, sucking on his sore thumb. At a loss for words, he finally managed to say: "I… I'm sorry that you feel that way…"

Light laid his head back, hitting it on the bed frame behind him when he realized that he was not going to get through to L this night either. "Good night, L. I'll update you on our progress tomorrow." He muttered before hanging up the phone, tossing the device aside before rolling over onto his side to try and get some sleep.

* * *

" _Light?" L blinked, surprised to see the younger standing in the doorway to his hotel room. "I… wasn't expecting you…" He muttered, biting his nail absently. "Come in. Are you alright?" He asked kindly, noting how distressed Light looked._

 _The brunette shook his head, quickly wiping his eyes when L's back was turned to him. "I… Uhm… I need a place to stay for a few days… I don't mean to intrude but I was hoping that maybe…"_

" _Watari just informed me that your father's branch of the Japanese Police has terminated their contract with my company about five minutes ago… Would I be correct to assume that these two occurrences are related?" L asked, studying Light carefully._

 _Light nodded. "Y-Yeah… I… I told my parents about… Us… and…"_

" _Oh I wouldn't have done that if I were you…" L shook his head. "I would have warned you sooner, but I did not have any real evidence to go off of… I always got the feeling that your father was… Not open…"_

 _The younger stared at him, amazed. "Really?" He never would have picked up on that on his own. He knew it was probably because L was objectively looking in on the outside, whereas he had been putting too much emotion into hoping that his parents would accept him._

 _L nodded before taking Light's hand in his own. "I can tell you don't want to talk about his anymore. Come on." He stated rather bluntly, leading him towards his bed. He relinquished his hand just for a moment when he reached the foot of the king-sized bed to remove his plain shirt and toss it aside. "We'll handle the backlash of it all in the morning." He encouraged, resting his hands on Light's hips and pulling him down onto the mattress._

* * *

He wondered if the new officers had been made aware of his former relationship with their chief. Light had not expected anyone to be kind or courteous to him, nor were they required to be so, but it seemed like most of the officers opted to only speak to him when they were spoken to, or only offer short answers. Light had to admit he found this treatment annoying, but not unexpected.

He was rather unsurprised that the only person that seemed overly polite to him was Matsuda, who seemed very keen on catching up with him. "So where do you live now? Are you still in Japan somewhere?"

Not looking up from his laptop, Light answered. "I go back and forth between Tokyo and London. Main headquarters is in England, but I am head of the Japanese branch, so I'm in the country often."

"And what about LAw? I heard that everyone that works for The L Organization gets code names. I'm guessing that's yours? Did you get to pick it out yourself?" He asked eagerly, secretly wishing he worked somewhere cool enough to get a secret code name.

"When I left Japan for the first time five years ago I had my name changed. So legally, my initials are now L A. Ryuzaki suggested LAw for me." Light glanced over to Matsuda momentarily before continuing to work. "It's Light Asashi now. In case you were getting ready to ask."

The officer nodded, impressed that Light had anticipated his next question, although he knew he should not be surprised. "So… Uh… Speaking of Ryuzaki… How is he? Are you two still—"

"If it's all the same to you, Matsuda, I'd rather keep my personal life and professional life separate." Light responded quickly, cutting him off.

Light heard a short laugh come from behind him. "Well that's certainly an unexpected turn of events…"

He let out a deep breath, counting to ten in his head before he turned around to face his former co-worker, Aizawa. "Oh that's funny." Light responded flatly.

The older man shrugged, not looking up from his lab notes. "Didn't you get fired from The Task Force because you couldn't keep the two separate?" Aizawa asked with a small smirk on his face.

"Yeah actually…" Light thought for a moment. "But didn't you guys just re-hire me to bail your asses out of trouble?"

"That's enough." A disgruntled voice ordered from the front of the room. "LAw we hired you to do a job. We don't have time for unprofessionalism. If you can't handle that I have no problem terminating your services with my branch." Soichiro snapped.

Light turned back around in his chair, grinding his teeth together while he exhaled sharply through is nose. ' _We have to maintain good relations with these people… Just remember that…'_ He thought to himself before he trusted himself to speak. "Of course, sir. My apologies…" He responded sarcastically before returning to work.

* * *

 _'Incredible…' He thought as he stared at his partner's flushed face, both still panting. "I… I think I love you…" Light said softly, running a hand through L's messy hair._

 _The older turned to face him, rolling onto his side in the bed as his hair fell back into his face. "Come work for me." He offered suddenly, absently running his fingers up and down Light's bare chest._

" _Really?" Light blinked, unable to keep the smile from creeping onto his face. "Are you sure?"_

 _L nodded. "Why not? I'm heading back to headquarters sooner than anticipated. You need a job and somewhere to live now." He continued, his hand traveling lower as he spoke. "Besides… I have to admit I think we work well together…"_

 _Light's eyes slid shut as long fingers wrapped around him, making him hard once more. "I-ah-I do enjoy working with you…"_

 _L smirked. "I know you do." He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Light's._

* * *

If he was being honest, Soichiro hated how good Light was at his job. As much as he did not want to, he could not deny what a great detective Light had become. Almost immediately after he had been brought up to speed on their case he broke down the wall they had hit with their investigation. It was obvious that shadowing Ryuzaki and working with The L Organization had shaped him into an incredible detective. Soichiro had to admit that he was impressed with the young man's skills, even though he did not have to like it.

When he had told his wife who LAw was, she had been surprised at first, not saying much before letting out soft, "How is he?" over the dinner table.

Soichiro found himself glad that he was able to answer, "Really well, actually."

Despite the occasional spat between the very sarcastic LAw and the still bitter Task Force members, Light had kept his promise to try and be as professional as possible. He wondered if Ryuzaki had spoken with him about his behavior. He had to wonder if they were still together. He soon found himself realizing how unimportant that seemed all these years later.

"LAw, I'd like to have a word with you in my office." The Chief asked of him one evening as they were all packing up to go home.

The young detective hesitated at first, and for good reason, before nodding slowly. "Uhm… Yeah… Okay." He carefully followed him down the hallway to his office, instantly on guard as soon as the door was closed behind him. "What do you want?" Light asked bluntly, wanting to get out of Headquarters as soon as possible.

Soichiro offered him a seat which he promptly refused. Clearing his throat, he started carefully. "It's… It's been really good to have you back on The Task Force. You've really been an asset to my team…"

"What do you want?" Light repeated, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

Soichiro swallowed his pride, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I know that you travel a lot with your current job. If you ever wanted a job that… kept you in one place… I don't know what L is paying you, but I'm sure we could—"

"You're… Offering me a job?" Light asked incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me? Why?" He shook his head. "You know I'm still a faggot, right?"

"Light I don't want to fight with you." Soichiro said quickly. "I know that we haven't always seen eye to eye on your… lifestyle but… You've become a great detective. One that I would be honored to have on my team."

"I have _always_ been a good detective." Light snapped back, growing furious. "But that didn't matter five fucking years ago when I was just some student. When I was just some kid who _needed_ his father."

"'Light, listen. Please."

"No. You listen to me!" He near growled, cutting him off. "I confided in you and mom something about myself that makes me happy that I can't change, and you disowned me because of it. I don't hear from you or her or Sayu for five years. And when you do reach out to me, albeit unintentionally, it's because you need me for something. And I get here and everyone treats me like I'm sick or have some sort of disease. And when you realize that your fucked up faggot of a son can actually be useful to you and your career you actually have the balls to ask me to come back and work for you?" He fumed. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

He knew Light would be angry with him, and he knew that he could only blame himself for his child's actions. He let out a sigh, sitting down at his desk. "I understand you must be furious. And to be honest, I can't really fault you for that. I know I haven't been there for you and…" His eyes slid shut, unable to look Light in the eyes as he spoke. "And I'm sorry… This… This is the only way I know to make it up to you…" He admitted softly.

Light balled his hands into fists, still furious at the man before him who in a past life had meant so much to him. He scoffed, looking away as well. "Then I suggest you figure something else out…" He muttered, turning briskly and exiting the office.

* * *

" _How are you adjusting LAw?" His new boss asked kindly, standing in the doorway to his new room._

 _Light stepped out of the way, letting L enter. He shrugged. "Fine I suppose… I get the feeling that the other members of The Organization don't trust my credentials…" He admitted, studying L as he made himself at home by sitting on his bed, pulling his knees up to his chest._

" _You're referring to Mello and Near? Well, that's not surprising…" L stated bluntly, biting his nail on one hand, holding the other out for Light to take. "They were literally raised for this job. They've been working for me since they were children." He explained._

 _Light took the extended hand, sitting next to him on the bed. "Children you say? I'm sure there are some labor laws I should be looking into…"_

" _I can have you deported back to Japan…" L responded back dryly, small smile creeping onto his face._

 _Light chuckled, resting his head on L's shoulder. "Thank you for taking a chance on me." He uttered softly, eyes sliding shut. Exhausted from the whirlwind of traveling and human resources and getting his name changed and the million questions his new co-workers had and the million other tasks that L had given him to keep him busy the last few weeks. He was tired, but he had to admit that he had been far too busy to think about where he had come from. He was thankful, and he had to wonder if that had been L's plan all along._

 _L squeezed his hand lightly. "Of course. I told you already I enjoy working with you…"_

 _The younger let out a yawn, tired but mind running in too many directions to sleep. "I'm sorry… If I made you uncomfortable earlier… Back in Japan when I told you I loved you…" He muttered._

 _His partner squeezed his hand once more before releasing it entirely. "You should get some sleep. You've had a busy day and tomorrow isn't going to be much better…" He ordered quickly, sliding out from under Light and promptly leaving him to rest._

* * *

"You're out late tonight…" L noted, checking the time when his phone finally rang. "Did you have a productive day?" He asked hopefully on behalf of his partner.

Light scoffed, throwing his shoes off and across the hotel room. "Like Hell." He muttered. "Soichiro Yagami offered me a fucking job. I mean, what the fuck? Can you believe him?" He swore, unable to sit still as he paced his room agitated.

L blinked, genuinely shocked by this development. "Really? That's… Rather surprising… To be honest even I didn't see this coming…" He admitted, tearing a hangnail off with his teeth. When Light did not respond, he continued. "What did you say? You didn't take the job did you?"

"Of course I didn't!" Light snapped. "I mean… I shouldn't… Right? That would be stupid…" He cycled through his options, growing more frustrated. "Fuck! What do I do?" He asked desperately.

L hesitated, not sure how to answer the question posed to him. "What do you want to do, Light?" He dared to ask.

"I don't fucking know!" He yelled, pulling a beer from his hotel fridge. Popping the cap off of the bottle, he took a too hard swallow of the drink, coughing for a moment into the phone. "I miss them… God knows I do…" He admitted softly, falling into the armchair in the corner. "But… How do I know I can trust him again? And… what about you? Us?"

"What about us?" L asked quietly, carefully listening to the man on the other end work on his drink.

"I mean… Is there even an 'us'? I mean, shit, we've been sleeping together for five years and you don't even want to say what we are?" Light snapped back. "If I took this job with him would I ever see you again?"

The older detective was at a loss for words. His phone shook in his hand as he realized that his lover was seriously considering accepting his old job. For the first time he realized he did not know what to say. He never once saw this as a possible outcome to Light taking this job. He let out a shaky breath, licking his chapped lips as he spoke carefully, trying not to let on how nervous he was. "I… Light… If you feel like this… Working with him will make you happy… Then… I don't know… Maybe you should…"

Light sat up, setting his now empty bottle down. "You don't know?" He repeated incredulously. "When have you ever not known something?" He asked, growing angry.

"I don't know." L repeated, shaking his head. "What do you want me to say, Light?"

"I want you to tell me that you want me to work for you!" Light answered immediately. "Tell me that you care about me and that you don't want me to go!"

"I… I can't…" Came the small response on the other end. He chewed on his still raw thumb, re-opening his wound absently.

This infuriated the younger. "Why the fuck not, L!?"

"I can't do that because I don't know if it will make you happy and I just need you to be happy because I fucking love you, Light!" He yelled over the phone. Not one to raise his voice, he immediately stuck his fingertip in his mouth, biting down on it to keep the tears he could feel in his eyes from falling.

Light grew silent, amazed by the raw and rare admission of feelings that he had just witnessed. "L… I…"

"I really think we should about this more in person…" L responded quickly, cutting him off as he grew defensive. "When you… Come home…" He dared, trying to get a handle on his shaky breathing.

Light smiled delicately as he realized what his partner was doing. "Yeah… We'll talk about it when I get home…" He nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, neither one sure what their next move should be. Finally, Light dared to break the lull in their conversation. "Hey, L? I love you, too…"

* * *

" _I dunno, L… Are you sure I'm ready for this…?" Light asked nervously, adjusting his tie as he glanced over to the plane that was boarding._

 _L nodded. "Why wouldn't you be? You've been solving cases for years. You aren't doing anything new."_

" _I've only solved small cases on my own. And the only big cases I've solved have been with you. I'm representing you and your company. These people are going to be looking up to me and—" He was cut off as L pressed a finger to his lips._

" _If you need me I'm only a phone call away. But I know you're not going to need me because you're going to do great."_

" _But—" The finger pressed harder on his lips._

" _You'll do great, because you are great." L continued, pulling his finger away when he was sure Light was not going to protest further. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Light's. "You are great. You are smart, and you are good at this. You're going to do great." He repeated._

 _Light nodded, as though trying to convince himself of what his partner was saying. "You think so?"_

" _I know so. Now go on. Call me every night when you get back to your hotel." He ordered._

 _Light nodded again, picking his bag back up off the ground. "Okay. I'll promise to have a full report for you every night on my progress."_

 _L shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just meant because I'll miss you. But if you insist on being that pro-active I won't stop you…" He blushed._

 _The two exchanged smiles before Light leaned forward, giving him a quick kiss and then rushing to board his flight._

* * *

"Fuck…" Light swore out loud, reading his email on his phone. He let out a sigh, texting his partner: "My flight's been delayed… Anything you can do?"

"Unfortunately, no. No one was anticipating the confession following the arrest of your suspect at two this morning. That's the only flight that Watari could get on such short notice." L responded quickly, not pleased with the information either. "It's either that or a red-eye in two days, and I know how much you hate those…"

Light let out a frustrated groan, resting his forehead on the steering wheel of the rental car as he sat in The Task Force Headquarters parking lot. "I've already checked out of my hotel, though?" He texted back.

L rolled his eyes at the message. "You're smart. I'm sure you'll figure something out?" He answered. Not that he wanted to get his partner off the phone, but his current case still needed to be solved and he really did not see a point in babysitting the grown adult.

Light knew there would be no point in responding to the latest message. He stared at his phone a moment longer, contemplating just what to do next. His eyes drifted back to the office building before him. Letting out another groan he climbed out of his car.

He supposed he could say he was thankful when he caught Soichiro leaving the building, and he never thought he would ever be thankful to see him again. "Oh. LAw… I thought you had a plane to catch?" He asked surprised to see the young man still hanging around Headquarters.

"About that…" He muttered. "Uhm… You see… My flight was delayed until late this evening and…" He hated that he was doing this. "I've already checked out of my hotel and…" He really really hated that he was doing this. "Do you think it would be alright if I just… I dunno… took a nap on your couch for a couple hours before I have to be back at the airport? I promise it would just be for a couple hours. I wouldn't be any trouble to you or your family. I'd just… It would really help me out a lot, Chief…"

The older man hesitated. He thought back to their conversation a few days prior. He knew how angry Light had been, but Soichiro had been honest when he said he had wanted to be better to the young detective. He knew it would not be much, but he could tell that his son really needed him at the moment. It was obvious what the right thing to do would be. "Yeah… I… I think that would be alright…" He nodded slowly. "I'll let Sachi— Your mother know that you're coming so she can make another plate for dinner."

"Oh no. Really. You wouldn't have to do that. I'd be putting you out enough as it is." Light quickly shook his head. The last thing he needed was to impose on them, or be made to feel like he owed them anything.

"No I'm… I'm sure she would be glad to see you again…" His father insisted, offering him a small smile.

Light returned the smile, something about him seemed genuine and he did not want that feeling to go away anytime soon. "I'd… I'd really like to see her, too…" He admitted, unable to bury the excitement rising in his chest. After years of anticipation, he was finally allowed to go home.


End file.
